Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 4).djvu/315

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MEADE
MEADE

in his native town, and in 1874 became a candidate for orders in the Protestant Episcopal church, but never entered the ministry. From 1875 till 187'J he studied in Europe at Cambridge and Leipsic. He has been largely engaged in lecturing on phi- losophy, politics, and American history and litera- ture. Since 188B he has been engaged in the Old South Historical Work, which is devoted to better citizenship and the promotion of historical and political studies, especially among the young peo- ple. In addition to numerous articles upon the broad church movement and other religious sub- jects, he has edited " Faith and Freedom," by Stop- ford A. Brooke (Boston, 1881), and is the author of " The Philosophy of Carlyle " (1881). and " Martin Luther: A Study of the Reformation " (1884).


MEADE, George, merchant, b. in Philadelphia, Pa., 29 Feb., 1741 : d. there, 9 Nov., 1808. He was one of the signers of the non-importation resolutions of 1765, and during the Revolution took an active part in all measures to advance the patriot cause, giving largely to it on one occasion, in the trying year of 1780, subscribing £2,000 toward supplying the destitute army at Valley Forge. After the establishment of the independ- ence of the United States he continued to be identified with the progress of Philadelphia. His views were liberal, he was hospitable and charita- ble, and noted for his strict integrity, holding many places of trust and honor. He was a stanch Catholic, and one of the founders and trustees of St. Mary's church, in Fourth street, the oldest Catholic church, save one, in the city. In concert with the Rev. William White (afterward bishop of the Protestant Episcopal church) he assisted, with Mathew Carey and others, in organizing in Phila- delphia a system of First-day- or Sunday-schools, presided over respectively by a Catholic, an Epis- €opalian, and a Friend. He was one of the origi- nal members of the Society of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, and one of the original members of the Hibernian society. — His son, Richard Wor- sam, merchant, b. in Chester county. Pa., 23 June, 1778 ; d. in Washington, D. C, 25 June, 1828, was educated in Philadelphia and entered the count- ing-house of his father. After a tour through England and France in 1795-6 he engaged in business on his own account in Philadelphia. In 1794 he served as a private soldier in one of the Philadelphia companies, to aid in the suppression of the whiskey insurrection in the western counties of Pennsylvania. He went to Spain in 1808, and became a merchant and ship-owner in Cadiz, and from 1805 till 1816 was U. S. navy agent for that port. During the peninsular war he entered into many contracts with the Spanish government, im- ported supplies into Cadiz and frustrated Victor's attempts to starve out the allied garrison, and in 1810 his vessels carried thither 250,000 barrels of flour. During the siege of Cadiz by the French his presence in the city was regarded by the Span- ish junta as a support to the Spanish cause, through the moral and material aid that it repre- sented. The indebtedness of the country to him was so generally recognized that the Spanish cortes, assembled in 1811-12. offered him the honor of citi- zenship, which he declined, declaring that his high- est desire was to remain an American citizen. Soon after the restoration of the Spanish government, through the return of Ferdinand VII. to the throne of Spain, the finances of the country being low, through the drain of the peninsular war, Mr. Meade found it impossible to collect the amounts due him, and he also became involved in litigation growing out of his having been appointed assignee for an insolvent agent of an English house doing business in Cadiz. Although all the action he had taken in this last matter had been under the direction of the proper authorities, the result of the suits was his incarceration, on 2 May, 1816, in the prison of Santa Catalina, Cadiz, where he re- mained for two years, until released by royal man- date, obtained through the interposition of the U. S. minister. Upon his release, although he was anxious to return home, and had already sent his family to Philadelphia, he was compelled to re- main in Spain to attend to his large monetary in- terests. Meanwhile the treaty of 1819 between the United States and Spain, known as the treaty of Florida, remitted to the United States, in re- turn for the cession of Florida by Spain, the pay- ment of all just claims of American citizens on Spain, whereupon Mr. Meade at once returned home. The case that has since been celebrated as the Meade claim grew out of the losses incurred by him at this time and the ruin of his business consequent upon his long imprisonment. In 1819 a special tribunal, appointed by the Spanish gov- ernment, awarded him a certificate of debt, which was signed by the king, for $491, 153.62. In 1822 the commission appointed at Washington to con- sider such claims declined to receive this certifi- cate, demanding the original vouchers ; but before these could be procured the session expired, and the fund was distributed among other claimants. All attempts to obtain another hearing of this case were fruitless, though the most celebrated lawyers were retained, including Webster, Clay, and Choate. A bill has twice passed the senate, and once the house of representatives, but not both bodies in the same session, whereby it has failed to become law. Supported although it is by the treaty and by documentary proofs, by the special affirmation of the cortes, and by the royal sign-manual, neither Mr. Meade nor his heirs have been able to obtain payment. After the institution of the court of claims, subsequently to his death, the claim was disallowed, though with a dissenting opinion. Mr. Meade possessed a fine private gallery of paintings and statuary, which contained the only bust of Washington taken from life, and he is said to have been the first to import merino sheep and sherry wine into this country. — Richard Worsam's son, George Gordon, soldier, b. in Cadiz. Spain, 31 Dec, 1815 ; d. in Philadelphia, Pa., 6 Nov., 1872, attended school in Philadelphia and afterward Salmon P. Chase's school in Washington, D. C, and Mt. Hope in- stitution near Bal- timore, Md., from which he went to the U. S. military academy, where he was graduated in 1835. He was as- signed to the 3d artillery, and or- dered to Florida. While he was serv- ing in the war against the Semi-

noles his health

failed, and he was detailed to conduct a party of Seminoles to Arkansas, and then ordered to Watertown arsenal, Mass., and was on ordnance duty there till 26 Oct., 1836, when he resigned. He was engaged as assistant civil engineer in the